Ottawa: A Tourist in My Own City

by Angèle Alain

A few weeks ago, my eleven year old daughter’s second cousin came to visit. It was her first time in Ottawa, so there were many things she wanted to see.  We went to Calypso Water Park, Papanack Zoo and Ikea (you’d be surprised how fun it is for tweens).  I think the most interesting day, however, was when we showed her around downtown.  One of us was a true tourist while the rest of us simply played the part. 

Lazing around at Ikea

When was the last time I was a tourist in my own city? My family and I travel the world in search of beautiful cities, yet we rarely stop to appreciate the beauty of our own. So on a hot day in August, I looked at Ottawa through the eyes of an 11 year-old tourist. And boy was there a lot to take in.

Maman the Spider

We parked in the ByWard Market and walked straight to Maman, the spider. I took photos of the girls standing under it surrounded by other tourists doing the same. Have you ever done a 360 degree turn while standing under the spider? The view is breathtaking: the art gallery, the cathedral, the old buildings on Sussex, the Cenotaph and Major’s Hill Park with the Parliament buildings in the background. Who knew?

We then walked around the National Gallery of Canada to check out the architecture and the view from the inside balconies (we got a free pin from the admissions desk).  The wide steps are a lot of fun and, I imagine, could provide many hours of entertainment for children of all ages. We also enjoyed wandering around the boutique, where I was able to talk to the girls about art history. 

National Gallery of Canada

We then crossed the street to visit the Cathedral. After visiting many churches across the world, I can say that this one, although not old at all, is colourful and impressive in its own way. Its ornate decor and detailed stained glass windows are something to see. The view from its busy front steps is also quite lovely and, as it seems, a great backdrop for family photos and selfies.

The locks below

We made our way to Major’s Hill Park, where people were lounging around and having picnics. I admit I’ve never been in the park when it isn’t full of festival vendors; I think we forget it’s even a park. Plus, the view of the Peace tower and the Chateau Laurier looks like it belongs in a travel magazine, even when the Parliament buildings are undergoing restoration work. We took the path that led us to the locks, where the girls loved watching the boat go up the water elevator. Not surprising that we weren’t the only ones interested in this; who doesn’t like watching boats magically go up and down?  

Tea at Zoe's Lounge

Next up was tea time at Zoé’s Lounge in the Chateau Laurier. I’ve done this before with my daughter and it’s always a hit. No need to dress up (but you can!) and no need to go all out with the tea time menu (but you can!). This time, we had cold drinks and deserts off the regular menu. But if this isn’t for you, one of the waiters mentioned that they love having people walk in with their children for a glass of water –everyone is always welcomed. 

Finally, we enjoyed the Rideau Canal from the Wellington Street bridge and walked around the ByWard Market, looking at crafts and souvenirs. We purchased personalized name bracelets (deemed the best souvenir) and stopped for a Beaver Tail.  I laughed when our guest thought she’d be eating a real beaver tail, forgetting that it is genuinely an Ottawa treat.  Which reminded me: next time, she should visit Ottawa in winter…  

It was a fantastic day, and we could have done so much more. But wandering the streets of our downtown core was an eye opening experience. As parents, we think to show our toddlers their city but as the years go by, we often don’t bring them to visit unless we go somewhere or do something specific.  As I learned, it’s well worth being a tourist in your own city.  

Angèle is what you call an opportunistic traveler: there isn’t a travel opportunity she’ll pass up. She caught the travel bug early in life, and it became serious after her first trip to London is 2006. Since then, she’s traveled the world with her husband and daughter, yet still finds time to do many interesting things in our city. 

10 Ways to do Camping Right

By Misty Pratt

We recently returned from a family camping trip, and I enjoyed observing the habits and behaviours of other campers. In such close proximity, how can you not? Your entire life is on display - from the sandy/dripping clothes you leave hanging on the line, to the screaming night terrors your kids have at 1 a.m., to the domestic disputes that even the bears can hear.

I noted a few ways in which some campers seem to do things right (and by right, I mean very, very wrong):

1. Arrive at your campsite after dark. Make a lot of noise setting up camp, and shine every bright light you have in all directions. 
2. Bring your dog, tie them up to the tree and then head to the beach for a day of sand and sun. Hear that gentle breeze traveling across the open waters? No, actually, it's the howling of your mutt left behind at the campsite.
3. After your day of sand and sun, make sure to bathe your toddler in one of the comfort station sinks. It's actually the best place to do it, as you don't need to worry about them slipping in the shower stalls - there's only a slight risk of them slipping off the counter and falling to their death.
4. If you're traveling in style (aka, a camping trailer or RV), make sure to back up over all the trees and plants when you're parking Bertha. It promotes new growth.
5. For said trailer, be sure to drain your holding tank into the nearby bushes. It's fantastic fertilizer for the local flora and fauna.
6. Camping dishes are such a pain - you have to boil the water, mix it with cool water, and then have an EXTRA bucket for rinsing. A much easier method is to wash all your dishes at the water spout. No one minds the bits of food that get left behind at the source of their drinking water.
7. Make sure to play music, all day and night.
8. Berate your children loudly. Call them names, and make sure other campers know that corporal punishment is really the best option (positive parenting...what the heck is that?)
9. To start a fire, drag in logs from some nearby bush and then pour lighter fluid all over them.
10. The "quiet after 10 p.m. rule" is actually just a guideline. It's much better to gauge quiet time by the number of beers you've had to drink (3 beers = early night; 12 beers = 3 a.m.?)

These are all real-life examples of the ways in which people like to camp in our provincial parks. I've witnessed them all. Hold me.

What's your biggest pet peeve while camping with others? If you say "sanctimonious people who write passive-aggressive articles about other families when they get home from camping," you have a completely valid point ;)

Moms: the one thing you can do to save your sanity

by Misty Pratt

The other day I woke up early. It wasn't a "drag myself out of bed" morning. It was a "bounce up and sing" kind of morning - I was bright eyed and bushy tailed! I snuck around the sleepy house, taking a shower and preparing my lunch. By the time I was ready to head into the office it was 7:00 a.m. My husband and kids were still snoring peacefully as I quietly latched the door behind me.

"I'm at work early!" I thought. "I can actually get SO much done!" The office was quiet and dark (when you work for the gov, anytime before 8am is considered "early")

I checked my phone and saw a text message from my husband (Darcy is our dog, by the way):

I got a little worried. Why did he want me to call home? I dialed the number, and right away a plaintive little 2 year-old voice came on the line: "Hi Mommy! Why didn't you hug and kiss me goodbye this morning?" Soon it was the 5 year-old: "How could you leave like that? Don't you know you're supposed to wake me up to say goodbye? Never do that again!" All very tearful, heartfelt pleas from tiny little people that exited my womb not so many years ago.

My great mood crashed. The guilt set in, and soon I was picturing the day when both girls would be in therapy. "Our mom was never there for us. She would leave first thing in the morning, and wouldn't be home until late..." Drug addiction, eating disorders, bad relationships - I could see the future, and it was bleak. 

Soon enough I had whipped myself into such a state, I couldn't even stomach a sip of the Grande Caramel Macchiato I had so lovingly purchased from Starbucks.

But....suddenly I stopped myself.

NO, I would NOT ruin this beautiful morning when I was finally feeling bushy-tailed and eager for 8 hours of soul-sucking government work to begin. I chose to do something - the ONE THING MOTHERS CAN DO TO SAVE OUR SANITY.

I'm talking to all Moms - the working-at-home moms, the stay-at-home moms, the working-while-staying-at-home moms and the everything-in-between moms.

I let go of the guilt.

"But HOW, Misty, HOW can you so easily push this guilt aside and get on with your caramel macchiato?"

Recently, a friend (and amazing woman) told me something mind-blowing. Something totally life-altering, that I had trouble wrapping my head around it.

Guilt is a choice.

Yup, a choice. All that guilt we felt taking the epidural during childbirth, giving up on breastfeeding, feeding our child solids before 6 months of age, locking ourselves in the bathroom for moments of quiet time, shipping the kid off to daycare, neglecting to notice the time one kid broke their arm (ok, 12 hours later we figured it out!), shoving cookies into our children's small, pudgy hands so that they'd shut up for 5 minutes in the car, and on, and on. Just insert your reason for guilt HERE: 

And then let it go.

You can choose to feel guilty, or you can choose to get on with life, and let your children figure things out for themselves. 

Whatever way you have birthed, fed, diapered, clothed, or schooled your child, is the RIGHT way. Because you did it with love.

So cheers to a guilt-free life for all the Mommies out there...or at least until the next time the kid falls off the twirly slide and ends up at the children's hospital ;)

Buy Nothing Ottawa

By Andrea Lie

Imagine a world where a perfect stranger gives you a new bicycle for your child because theirs has been outgrown. A community where a neighbour comes over to change your tire for you because they saw your desperate plea for help in your time of need. Perhaps your money didn't stretch as far as you'd hoped this month and you need a gift for a birthday party your child will be attending. To your surprise, someone has offered you an age-appropriate gift because their child received duplicates at their party. And all of these donations happened simply because you asked.

It may seem far-fetched. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing these types of exchanges happen every day as a result of the Buy Nothing Project. This is a world-wide project on a grand scal,e which filters right down to sections of our own communities. To understand the vision and reason behind the project you can learn more here.

There are regular and weekly initiatives for giving in the Barrhaven group, of which I'm a member. For example, every Wednesday you are invited to post your "wish". Your wish is something you need or want. It can be an item or it can be a service. It can be something as small as a can of food or as big as a tent. In fact, there is no limit to what you can ask for. If another member can fill your wish you arrange for collection. There are also "round robins," which circulate through your neighbourhood and can include bags of clothes you pick and choose from, jewellry you sift through or books that pass through hands of those who signed up. You take a few and give a few before passing the lot onto the next person.

I've had so many wishes that I have been able to fill, and needs of my own that have been filled. Our garage houses two bikes that were given to us. Almost our entire camping kitchen set was donated to us. I have passed on bags of children's clothes to fit a child for every season of the year. I have given appliances, bags, decorations, picture frames and loads of toys. I return to work in the Fall and have acquired some appropriate work clothes as a result of a round robin. I'm of the mindset: give and ye shall receive. However, it is made clear that you do not need to give to receive. 

Have something to give? Take a photo of it and post it in the group. Give it a bit of time for people to express interest then choose someone to give it to. You can pick someone at random or choose someone for a reason. It's your item - you choose how to give it away.

There are a number of Facebook groups in Ottawa which you are free to join depending on your address. If your area isn't represented yet, you are invited to start one and the website teaches you how. 

To date, here are the groups available in Ottawa you can request to join:

Kanata – Kanata North 
Kanata – Kanata South 
Nepean – Nepean East 
Nepean – Nepean West 
Orléans – Orléans East
Orléans – Orléans West
Ottawa – Alta Vista/Hunt Club
Ottawa – Barrhaven North 
Ottawa – Bells Corners 
Ottawa – Britannia/Westboro 
Ottawa – Ottawa (Downtown) 
Ottawa – Pineview/Blackburn 
Ottawa – Riverside South/Findlay Creek/Greely 
Ottawa – St Laurent West 
Ottawa – St Laurent East 
Ottawa – Stittsville 
Ottawa – Stonebridge 

I invite you to stop and imagine something for a minute. What if this project became mainstream? What if, in the future, this was the first place we went to acquire something we were in need of? Imagine the ripple effect this would have on the economy, in our personal finances and in our community. 

The "back-to-school" financial burden is approaching  - what if we were able to acquire what we need through this project and BUY NOTHING?

A Trip to the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum

Ever since the Museum of Science and Technology closed for repairs, we have made the Canada Aviation and Space Museum our destination of choice for spontaneous outings. We are members of the museum network, which includes the Aviation, Agriculture and Sci & Tech museums in one membership.

I'll admit, the aviation museum was never one of my favourites. I always thought that it suited an older audience who could take time to read all of the fascinating information. Blowing through there with toddlers seemed pointless.

But a lot has changed over the past couple of years, and a recent visit was GREAT for the little ones - mainly because of the special activities that we've discovered. This summer it's Summer in Space, and the kid got to put on her own space suit and go into a giant bubble.

There are also printmaking workshops, and daily tours for the kids, specially designed for ages 4 to 7. And there's nothing cooler than sitting in the big airplanes.

My girls never miss their turn on one of the rollie-planes:

What I've also discovered is that this is a GREAT museum for the little ones because there is so much space (haha, kind of a joke, right? Space?) - the kids can run around all they want and get their energy out. There's never a worry about them doing damage to anything, as long as they stay outside of the barriers of the planes. The Hang Glider Studio offers respite for tired feet, and there the kids can play with Lego, read books, or put on a puppet show.

And bonus? Starbucks coffee in the little cafe....seriously, best thing ever for long nights and early mornings.

Even when the Museum of Science and Technology reopens, the Aviation museum will still be a place of great fun for my family.

Have you been to the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum lately?